Women's basketball team opens at home vs. Montana St.

By Sean Star Sports Writer

Posted:
11/10/2012 07:35:28 PM MST

After earning the Mountain West sixth player of the year award last year, Colorado State women's basketball player Meghan Heimstra will return to the starting lineup today when the Rams open their season against Montana State.
(Jenny Sparks)

FORT COLLINS -- Colorado State is 2-for-2 so far this year debuting new head coaches, as Jim McElwain and Larry Eustachy each won their first game leading the Rams.

Women's basketball coach Ryun Williams will try to continue that trend this afternoon when CSU opens its season at home against Montana State.

Williams said his team looks fresh and ready to play, but picking up win No. 1 won't be easy considering Montana State handed CSU an 18-point loss when the teams met last year in Bozeman.

The Bobcats were picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Conference in both the media and coaches preseason polls, and Williams said his team is up against a versatile squad that can beat you several different ways.

"There's not a lot of glaring weaknesses. It looks like they shoot it really well. They've got good inside play, seem to be fairly athletic," he said. "They were very, very disruptive against Colorado State last year, beat us ... so they've got good players. I think their guard play concerns us a little bit and the fact that they can shoot it from a lot of spots."

Williams has preached toughness ever since he arrived on campus, and when it comes to that style of play, senior forward Meghan Heimstra is the likely catalyst.

"She's kind our nasty," Williams said. "She can get some deep seals and hopefully finish around the rim. Sam (Martin) can be that kid too, though. Sam's got a really good feel in the paint. We've got to do a really good job of getting her touches, and she's got to do a better job of getting herself touches."

Advertisement

Heimstra started the first eight games last season before coming off the bench, a role she thrived in, so much so that we was named the Mountain West's sixth-player of the ear.

Going back to being a starter will be "no big deal," as Heimstra said she wants to make sure the Rams avoid some of the slow starts to games that plagued them at times last season.

As far as the toughness goes, it's something the entire team is really trying to latch on to, and not necessarily always in a physical way, either.

"I think we're getting tougher as a team. It's just that we have to have more of a mentality to go harder and not be afraid to hit some people," she said. "I think we weren't mentally tough enough sometimes (last season), but I think we hustled all the time, just maybe not the smartest hustle."

Among the candidates to replace Heimstra's role as the first player off the bench is guard Amber Makeever, who redshirted last season due to a hip injury. The sophomore from Peaster, Texas, is not yet 100 percent after having surgery less than a year ago to repair a completely torn labrum, but she is healthy enough to play.

In last week's exhibition against Colorado School of Mines, Makeever sank a pair of 3s on four attempts, a valuable skill she hopes will complement the presence of Heimstra and Martin down low.

"It's really important because we do have two big posts who we're going to be keying on, and so once we get it into the post, we need people to be able to make it from the outside so they'll have to decide which to guard," she said. "So if we're good on both ends, it will be hard to defend."Sean Star can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 512, sstar@reporter-herald.com or on Twitter @seanvstar

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story